I stay away from churches in which I feel like I have to pretend I'm a better person than I am. That sort of thing moves my faith backwards.

Our lives have a countdown clock that we can't see. Mine reminds me to only do work that matters.

Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.

You can't tell a good story without conflict - the story can't be beautiful or meaningful. We're taught to run from conflict, and it's robbing us of some really good stories.

I think, in the grand epic, Jesus is the hero of our stories. And our stories, as they were, are subplots in a grand epic and our job is not to be the hero of any story. Our job is to be a saint in a story that he is telling.

All this beauty exists so you and I can see His glory, His artwork. It's like an invitation to worship Him, to know Him.

I often learn more about myself from listening to the life story of a friend than I do reflecting on my own story.